Grain-elevator.



H. L. GRAY.`

GRAIN ELEvATon.

APPLICATION FILED IULY Il, i918. 1,286,999. Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

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570/: lfcc/zan 13m HAROLD L. GRAY, or cnAwFoRDsvILLE, INDIANA.

GRAIN-Enviamos.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec.. 10, 1918.

Application filed July 11, 191s. serial No. 244,374..

To all whom it may concern:

13e it known that l, HAROLD L. GRAY, a citizen of the 4`United States, residing at Crawfordsville, in the county of ,Mont-7 gomery and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements vin Grain-Elevators, of which the following isV a spec'cation.

Thid invention relates to grain elevators and more particularly to automatic shut oils adapted to stop the elevator, thereby to prevent very heavy loads accumulating at the top ofthe elevator and clogging the conveyers and other mechanisms associated therewith. Y!

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide ajsimple and practical mechanism of the above general -character adapted automatically to shut 'oli the supply of grain to the elevator pit. A further object is to provide a mechanism of the above general character having relatively few parts which may be inexpensively in anufactured and installed in elevators now To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features' thereof that they may embody the same by the numerous modiications in structure and relation contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as a part of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, wherein is shown semidiagrammatically an elevationalview of a portion of a grain elevator with'such parts of the invention applied thereto -as necessary for those skilled in the art to -understand the same.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, 1 and 2 denote the opposite legs of an elevator in which .is positioned an endless chain 3 adapted to travel about pulleys 4 at the to and bottom for carrying grain, or the like from a well or boot 5` upwardly to a head 6. 7 denotes the intake hopper into which the grain is unloaded from cars or wagons to the boot 5. The head 6 is provided with an outlet 8 for distributing the grain to bins or other receptacles, as desired. These parts are all of well known construction and require no detailed explanation either as to their use or operation.

, Adjacent the outlet 8 there is provided an overflow 10 with a downwardly extending pipe 11 terminating in a vertically disposed movable pipe 12 telescoping at its upper end with the pipe 11 on the outer side, and a second pipe 13 on the inner side. `This .pipe 13 communicates 'with the receiving hopper 7.

`The* pipe `12 is supported by means of .brackets 14vfroin Va rod 15, the upper end of which rod is connected by means of rope or chain 16 with a counterweight 17. The

lower end of this rod is provided with a valve or gate 18. adapted to coact with certain guides acting as a valve seat, whereby as the gate is raised and lowered the supply of grain from either the overflow pipe 13 lor hopper 17 to the boot 5 of the elevator will be controlled. v

VVVithin-the telescopic pipe 12 is an adjustable gate or baffle 20 of any desired .typeadapted to nearly close the passage therethrough yet provide a small opening 21 through which the grain may slowly pass or leak out when this pipe 12 has been filled from the overflow. I

The operation of this device is substantially'as follows: l When the spout at the head of the elevator has filled up to the overflow pipe 10 the grain beginsto fall through this opening and run into the telescopic pipe 12. When this pipe fills to a certain degree A by reason of the gate or baille 12, the weight 17 is counteracted which causes the Valve rod 15 to move downwardly and shut off thefeed of grain into the boot 5 by reason of the gate 18, thus shutting olfthe feed to the upwardly moving conveyer 3, and thereby prevent a very heavy load in the head 6 with consequent clogging of the discharge mechanism and associated parts contained therein. After the material in the telescopic pipe 12 begins to run out through the small hole 21 provided by the valve,

124 and itsrload and open the valve 18, thereby permitting the mechanism to continuerits work. Suitable automatic stop mechanism the weight of I the member 17 will exceed that of the pipe for the conveyer may be installed to cooperate with this gate, so desired, as indlCBted. ai. I9. v l

It is thusI seen that the present invention provides a simple and practical shut off .mechanism for grain elevators which is argelyautolnatic in its operation and deanisms of this general type heretofore used. The entire apparatus is. of .simple and practical construction and may be installed at a minimum expense.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself to the specific form shown and described.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism of the character described, in combination, an elevator having a conveyer therein, and a discharge outlet from the head, a receiving hopper adjacent the boot, an overflow pipe leading from a point adjacent the discharge to the receiving hopper, a gate interposed between said overflow p1pe and the boot, and means adapted a part of said pipe and connected with said signed to overcome the objections to mech-- the head to a point adjacent the- .gate, counter-weight means holding said telescopic portion in normal upward position, and a baille located -in said telescopic pipe adapted to 'retard excessive overflow whereby when the weight of said telescopic member andthe overflow contained therein exceeds the weight of the counterweight means said gate will close.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, in combination, an elevator having a conveyer therein, a discharge pipe, a receivinghopper adjacent the boot, an over- How pipe having a movable portion leading from the head to a point adjacent the boot, a gate at the lower end of said pipe, a rod connected with said gate at o ne end and the movable portion of saidl overflow pipe' at the opposite end, a counterweight forsaid pipe and gate, and retarding means in said pipe whereby an excessive .owerflow will partially lill said movable pipe thereby to exceed the counterweight and cause a lowering of the moyable portion ofthe 'overflow pipe and consequent closing of the gate.

4. In a mechanism of the character described, in combination, an elevator having a conveyer, a dischargeipipe leading from the boot, a receiving hopper adjacent the boot, a separatepverlow pipe leading directly from the head to a point adjacent the receiving hopper, a gate interposed between the end of said overflow pipe and the boot, and means adapted to close said gate and stop the conveyer when a material amount of overflow takes place.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature lin the presence of two witnesses.

HAROLDl L. GRAY. Witnesses WM. N GoTT, R. W. BAKER. 

